3475 



The Rural School Lunch 



NELLIE WING FARNSWORTH 




The Rural School Lunch 



BY 



NELLIE WING FARNSWORTH 

DIRECTOR OF HOME ECONOMICS 

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL 

VALLEY CITY, N. D. 



^ 



Webb Publishing Company 

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 
1916 



75" 



■r3 



Copyright, 1916 

Webb Publishing Company 

all rights reserved 

W-1 




-^' 



OCT 27 1916 

©CI.A446276 



The Rural School Lunch 



INTRODUCTION 

With the widespread awakening in rural affairs much in- 
terest has centered in the rural school. Ways and means 
have been devised for improving the course of study as well 
as for making the building and grounds sanitary and more 
attractive. Sight, hearing, food and other similar vital mat- 
ters are receiving attention and correction. 

In most of the high schools of our large cities, the warm 
lunch has been established, as the relation between proper 
food and healthful mental development is well recognized. 
When it is suggested for the rural school, however, where its 
need is more deeply felt, many persons think its accomplish- 
ment impossible. 

The warm lunch, when this term is used, refers, of course, 
to that portion of the whole lunch which is prepared at 
school. It supplements, but does not supplant, the lunch 
brought from home. The instruction given, however, should 
have reference to the whole lunch, food values and dietetics 
in general. 

The aim of this little booklet is to show how the warm 
noon lunch can be successfully managed in any consolidated 
or rural school. 



6 THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

NEED 

On the principle that anything worth doing is worth 
doing well, it might follow that anything that must be done 
must be done well. We do not live to eat, but we must eat 
to live. Study, work, play are all alike destructive of bodily 
tissue and necessitate repair. Children must have extra 
food for growth besides repair, and at their age impoverish- 
ment is likely to retard both physical and mental develop- 
ment and have irremediable after effects. 

Many rural children come from homes in which no at- 
tention is given to the characteristics or proper proportions 
of food elements. If the meals which they have at home are 
composed of unsuitable food, improperly balanced or in- 
judiciously prepared, it should be one of the functions of the 
school not only to help the pupil physically and indirectly 
mentally, but to reach through the child into the home and 
establish conditions that count so much for the common 
betterment. 

The following conditions are not unusual and form a basal 
argument for the warm noon lunch and for the inculcation 
of scientific principles of feeding: 

1. Children walk or ride from one to six miles to school 
and in cold weather the lunch, carried in basket or pail, is 
often frozen. In this condition it is not very appetizing 
and it is not much better even if it has thawed out. 

2. Little thought or attention is given to the school 
lunch in many cases. When the pail or basket is opened it 
is found to contain cold pancakes, salt pork, cold potatoes, 
pie and bottles of cold tea or coffee. None of these foods is 
suited to the needs of the child and, as a rule, they all 
prove unpalatable and indigestible. 

3. On the farm, the hearty meal of the day is served 
at noon; so, during the school months, the children miss 



THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 7 

the principal meal and are frequently underfed — taking a 
hasty breakfast, a cold lunch and a light supper. 

NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 

The equipment necessary for preparing one warm dish 
at school need not be expensive. The following utensils 
will prove sufficient in the preparation of a variety of dishes 
and may be purchased at any hardware store. 

1 Two-burner blue flame oil stove $ 3.2.5 

1 Portable oven 3.25 

1 Frying pan 40 

2 Granite kettles 80 

1 Sieve. ^ 10 

2 Aluminum tablespoons 20 

2 Aluminum teaspoons 10 

1 Steel knife 10 

2 Asbestos mats 10 

2 Granite basins -10 

1 Dover egg beater .".*:: 25 

1 Dish pan . • , ■• •";• -C -50 

1 Draining pan -30 

1 Two-quart double boiler : .": : . . . . 1-75 

Total $11.50 

In addition to these utensils six dish towels will be 
needed, two cupboards made from packing boxes, a shelf for 
general supplies, a work table and dishes for the dining 
table. 

The next question that arises is: How may this equip- 
ment be secured? 

One rural school teacher had a "shower." She first went 
to a store in town and selected the needed utensils with a 
view to having them match and be attractive for the school- 
room. She then sent invitations to all mothers and women 
interested in the school, inviting them for a social afternoon 
and asking that each one bring with her one or more of the 
utensils which had been selected at the store. A delightful 



8 TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

afternoon was enjoyed, and the shower included not only the 
utensils selected, but many more. Every one present be- 
came thoroughly acquainted with the purpose of the warm 
lunch and a keen interest was aroused. 

In another case the needed funds for the lunch equipment 
were raised by giving a school entertainment. A basket 
social provided ample funds in a third instance and in many 
cases the school board has gladly furnished the equipment 
when the subject was properly presented. 

The cupboards maj^ be made by some of the boys who are 
handy with tools. Those shown in the illustrations are made 
from strong packing boxes, each being provided with a 
shelf which gives added space for dishes. The boxes should 
be covered with white oilcloth tacked securely in place with 
brass-headed tacks. White curtains of scrim should cover 
the opening, not only to give a neat appearance but to keep 
the dishes free from dust. Doors or some other tightly 




Figure 1 — Oil stove and cupboards improvised from paekins: boxes 



TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCE 



fitting cover may be used. They will keep out dust bet- 
ter and save the trouble of washing the curtains. 




Figure 2 — Drop shelf for a work table. 



A shelf may be put up for the general supplies and it too 
should be covered with white oilcloth so that it can be easily 
wiped and kept clean. A drop shelf, fastened to the wall with 




Figure .3 — Cupboard made from packing box, showing drop doors open. 



10 



THE FUBAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



hinges and supplied with two strong supports when raised, 
will furnish a worktable which can easily be put out of the 
way when not in use. 

Each mother may donate a flour sack which should be 
neatly hemmed in the sewing class, if sewing is taught. In 
this way a sufficient supply of towels may be secured. 

For the table utensils, each child should bring his own 
plate, cup, saucer, spoon, knife and fork from home and leave 
them for the year. 

Perhaps the dining table will furnish the most perplexing 
problem. Folding tables are inexpensive and may serve sev- 
eral other purposes; they will make good sev^dng or reading 




. i.*"ii!^ & ^ilSS* 



Figure 4 — Cupboiird with drop doors clos 



TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



11 



tables. If these cannot be secured, and, especially if there 
is not room for tables, a long plank neatly covered with white 
oilcloth may be used. It should be placed in the aisle, sup- 
ported at each end on boxes. The pupils can sit in the seats 
on each side facing the aisle. Or, pupils may be served at 
their seats, using the desk for a table. 

The lunch which is brought from home may be packed 
in folding paper boxes which can be purchased cheaply and 
thrown away. The regular tin lunch pail is good, and 
better than a basket in that it can be kept scrupulously 
clean by scalding with boiling water. 




Figure 5 — Lunch pail and different types of lunch boxes. 

MAINTENANCE 

With the equipment in place, the next requirement is the 
purchase of food supphes. One school board allowed four 
dollars a month for this purpose. In most instances each 
child brings ten cents a week, which usually covers the ex- 
pense. If ready money is not easily obtained, the lunch 
could be paid for in supplies. Eggs, butter, milk and vege- 
tables are abundant in the country and less expensive than 
in town. 



12 THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

SUITABLE DISHES 

The variety of dishes that may be easily prepared and 
that will prove wholesome and attractive to children is suffi- 
cient to require few repetitions in the month. The following 
hst has been in use for a number of years and has proven very 
satisfactory : 

1. Cocoa. 

2. Soups: tomato, potato, corn. 

3. Boiled rice with syrup or caramel sauce. 

4. Eggs, soft-cooked, scrambled, creamed. 

5. Eggs au gratin. 

6. Creamed macaroni with cheese. 

7. Macaroni with tomato sauce. 

8. Potatoes: baked, creamed, scalloped. 

9. Squaw dish. 

10. Irish stew. 

11. Vegetable soup. 

12. Cereals, Cream of Wheat with dates, fried mush. 

13. Hot baking powder biscuits with syrup. 

14. Creamed salmon on crackers. 

1.5. Scalloped vegetables: corn or tomatoes. 

16. Chocolate bread pudding. 

17. Cheese fondue. 

18. Creamed codfish. 

19. Baked custard. 

20. Toast : milk or French toast with syrup. 

The recipes and method of preparing each dish will be 
given for the benefit of teachers who have had no training in 
domestic science. 

MANAGEMENT 

The benefits that may be derived from^he warm lunch 
will depend quite largely upon the way it is managed. 

At the beginning of each week the teacher should appoint 
four housekeepers from among the boys and girls. Their 
duties may be assigned as she may choose; but the following 
plan has worked out very well where it has been used and 
is recommended. 

The first housekeeper prepares, cooks and serves the 



THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 13 

warm dish. The second housekeeper sets the table, wipes 
the dishes and puts them away. The third housekeeper 
washes the dishes and cleans the supply table, stove and cup- 
boards. The fourth housekeeper brings in the water, sweeps 
the floor and empties the garbage. 

The list of housekeepers should be posted for the week 
and the slips consulted frequently so that each child may 
serve in each capacity according to turn. A list of supplies 
should also be posted ahead or given personally to those who 
are to furnish them. 

The work of each child must be carefully and kindly su- 
pervised by the teacher. At first, when the plan is new, the 
teacher herself, assisted by the older girls who have had 
some home training, will have to prepare the lunch. 

School credit may be given for the work connected with 
the noon lunch, if it proves diflScult to secure willing helpers, 
although there is often objection to giving credit for this 
work. On the contrary, experience has shown that children 
are eager to have a part in the necessary duties. A few words 
of commendation or the granting of some special privilege 
to the one who excels will prove a wholesome incentive. 

Boys as well as girls should help with the lunch. In 
many cities boys take cooking in school as a preparation for 
boy scout work or for camp cookery. Boys who live in the 
country are accustomed to helping with the housework, and, 
if approached in the right spirit, will be willing to share in the 
work of preparing the school lunch and prove most efficient. 

The school lunch will consist of but one warm dish to 
supplement the lunch brought from home. The dishes to 
be served should be planned a week ahead that the supplies 
may be on hand. Also, if the dish to be prepared requires 
much time or labor, a thoughtful teacher will arrange to have 



14 



THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



some of the preparations made early in the morning or the 
night before. 

During the winter, if the schoolhouse is cold at night, 
care must be taken to keep supplies from freezing. If they 
can not be so kept, they will have to be brought fresh each 
morning from the nearest house. When water must be 
carried for some distance, a large cream can may be filled 
and brought in the bus each morning or carried from the 
nearest house by two of the boys. 

Instead of having each pupil bring simply his share of 
each lunch, it may often be found even more convenient 
for one pupil to bring various supplies at one time and thus 
not have to contribute again until all the others have made 
similar contributions. By donating or paying in this way 
the pupils are relieved of the tedious routine of daily atten- 
tion to a small matter. 

A fixed period should be assigned for the lunch hour, 
usually about twenty minutes. All pupils should be re- 
quired to remain at table till all are dismissed. This rule 
prevents hasty eating and is of advantage in other ways. 

Dishes should be washed methodically and carefull3^ 




Figure 6 — Washing dislies. 



THE RiUAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



15 



They should be first scraped and stacked in order. There 
should be a pan of hot, soapy water for washing and a 
second pan of hot, clear water for rinsing. A dish mop or 
dish cloth may be used and the drying towels should be 
kept scrupulously clean. Glassware should be washed first, 
then silver and china and cooking utensils. 




Figure 7 — "Redding up." 
Courtesy of L. R. Adley, County Superintendent of Otter Tail County, Minnesota. 

The dish towels should be laundered each week. They 
may be taken home by a different girl each Friday night and 
brought back clean and well ironed on Monday. This work 
will be cheerfully done by the mothers of the district and 
will not prove burdensome. 

Paper napkins are inexpensive, selling for one dollar a 
thousand. Many stores furnish free napkins that are used 
in advertising. If preferred, each child may bring a fresh 
linen napkin each Monday, marking it with an initial, a band 
of ribbon or a paper ring decorated with an individual design. 



16 



THE BIRAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



Attention should be given to the proper setting of the 
table. The following illustration gives the correct method: 




Figure S — A proper arrangement of a cover. 

If the knife and spoon are not needed, the fork may be 
placed at the right of the plate with the tines up. 

There will be need of only a few rules for serving. It 
should be remembered that dishes should be placed on the 
table from the right and that those passed should be served 
to a guest from the left and held conveniently. 

A few rules for table etiquette should be observed: 

Sit erect. 

Keep arms or elbows off the table. 

Eat deliberately and quietly. 

Take food from the side of a spoon. 

Use the knife only for cutting and spreading. 

Do not talk with food in the mouth. • 

The businesslike teacher will keep an accurate account 
of the assignment of work, dishes served, expense of the 
lunch and cost per child. Such data will enable her to 
carry on the work systematically and prove a help to others. 
Pupils may assist in keeping these records and gain valuable 
training in system and business methods. The following 



TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 



17 



chart will simplify matters and may be easily drawn on cards, 
one being used for each day or week. Kept in a file or simple 
box they may form a permanent record of the school lunch. 
These records should be kept whether the food is bought or 
contributed. In the latter case the supplies should be entered 
at their true market value. 



Date 




Dish 




1 


House- 


2 
3 




keepers 






4 





Supplies 



Number served - 



Cost per pupil 



Figure 9 — Record card. 

To carry out the warm lunch at school with success, re- 
quires a teacher of enthusiasm, tact, and common sense. 
She should have in mind the aims and possibilities and be 
original in finding means for accomplishing her ideals. One 
who has been carefully trained in home economics will find 
the work much easier; but any teacher who can follow direc- 
tions and grasp situations may be able to conduct the lunch 



18 



THE KUFAL tiCHOOL LI XCH 



with success. AVherever it has Ijeen tried it has met a great 
need and has been cordially received. The results have 
justified the effort. 

The logical result of the warm lunch should be the in- 
clusion of a course in domestic science. Knowledge of this 
subject would have more telling effect in the home than 
the study of arithmetic or history not only for the benefit 
of girls and women but of men also. Tvlany modern schools 
are so planned as to provide space and equipment for such 
a course. In these schools naturally the noon lunch is 
provided with greater ease and success. 




Figure 10 — Ideal modern rural school building in Ramsey County, Minnesota. 
Floor plans on opposite page. Courtesy Arthur S. Devor, St. Paul, Minn. 



ADVANTAGES 

If properly conducted, the advantages of the warm 
lunch are many and important and its influence far-reaching. 

1. The health of the children will thus be improved; for 
the lunch will be enjoyed much more, thus aiding digestion. 



THE Rl'RAL HCHOOL LINCH 



19 



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8 


u 



II 6'. 1+ O" 



MOVlbLt PAHriTIOK- 



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n ^'"^'f'^ 



LCDM 



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Figure 11 — First floor plan. 




Figure 12 — Ground floor plan 



20 THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNGB 

Something warm excites the flow of the digestive juices all 
along the alimentary canal, getting it ready to take care of 
the rest of the food. New York City experiments show that 
the average increase of weight of pupils taking the lunch is 
much greater than that of those who do not take the school 
lunch. The planned school lunch also far surpassed the un- 
planned one in the amount of nutrients furnished for the 
same mone3^ 

Pupils will be taught to eat slowly and thoroughly mas- 
ticate their food. When they eat alone or in groups they are 
so eager to begin their play that the food is bolted or eaten 
too hastily to allow thorough mastication. Such hasty eat- 
ing will cause a deranged digestion and consequent ill health. 

2. Better mental work will result. Even if the bulk of 
the lunch be cold and ill chosen, the child will have one warm 
dish that is palatable and nourishing. It is too much to ex- 
pect children to be mentally alert on a diet that is unwhole- 
some and indigestible. In some large Eastern cities where 
careful records were kept it has been quite evident that the 
mentahty of many pupils has been considerably increased 
through the noon lunch. 

3. By eating together at the table, conversation during 
the meal is directed in proper channels by the teacher in 
charge, who always should preside. This feature is by no 
means a. small consideration; for often one foul-mouthed 
child can ruin a whole school. The tendency is to cultivate 
a spirit of refinement and cheer. 

4. In talking together at table children learn to express 
themselves more readily — even the most bashful child may 
be drawn into the conversation after a time. It is quite an 
art to be a good "mixer," to be able to converse easily with 
others and to feel at home among one's fellows. After-din- 



THE Tn'RAL SCJJOOL Ll'NCH 21 

ner stories may occupy a few moments after lunch. Whole- 
some, witty stories will create a good hearty laugh and do 
more good than medicine. 

5. Table manners will be improved. In the hurry of 
everyday life, especially where the mother is overworked, the 
little courtesies are often neglected. Children should form 
correct habits of eating, learA to be excused when leaving 
the table and learn to be considerate of one another. The 
teacher can strengthen the home teaching in this respect and 
help those whose training in these matters has been neglected. 
Children should be so trained from infancy that they may 
feel at ease at any one's table in any class of society. 

6. School attendance will be improved. Experience has 
shown that children do not wish to miss the party or picnic 
that the warm lunch affords, so they make a greater effort to 
be at school every day. Some duty in connection with the 
lunch may be depending on them and impel them to attend. 

7. High ideals are formed. Ideals of food containing 
the proper elements and balance, good cooking, sanitation, 
correct table service and home life may be established if the 
teacher has the right conception of the opportunities that 
are presented by -the warm lunch. In time the standards 
of home life in the community will be improved. 

8. Pupils will learn the dignity of labor. Added dignity 
is given to the mother's work in the home when the children 
see that the teacher is willing to cook, wash dishes, and sweep 
the floor. They will learn that the duties connected with 
housekeeping have scientific and noble ends worthy of study 
and devotion. 

9. Useful knowledge is gained. Besides having stories 
told at the table, the teacher may often direct attention to 
the foods that are served. The history of rice, the manufac- 



22 TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

ture of macaroni or the production of cocoa may be made 
most interesting as well as instructive. Pupils may use the 
information thus gained in their compositions later on. 
Besides such knowledge, the value of system, counting the 
cost and selection of foods may be impressed. 

10. Mothers will take more pains in putting up the 
lunch when they know that it is to be exhibited before the 
other pupils as well as the teacher. Too often little attention 
is given to the child's food. While the country child always 
has an abundance of food to eat, he often suffers from mal- 
nutrition because he does not eat the proper foods. More 
pains should be taken with the lunch basket. It should con- 
tain sandwiches, jelly, custard, cookies, fruit and often a 
few lumps of sugar. Sandwiches may be made of either 
graham or white bread with a filling of cheese, meat, eggs, 
lettuce and salad dressing, jam or dates and nuts. If cold 
meat or baked beans form a part of the lunch, the sandwiches 
should be plain. Children should drink neither tea nor 
coffee, but milk, water or cocoa. Even cocoa should not be 
served every day, as it proves a stimulant to many children. 

11. The warm lunch will prove the connecting link 
between the home and school. Mothers will be more deeply 
interested in the teacher and her work when they realize 
that the teacher is co-operating in the feeding of the child, 
and in his training in home affairs. It is often easier for the 
teacher to correct bad habits, as children accept criticism and 
suggestions at school that they are likely to resent at home. 

THE TEACHER'S SPECIAL PROBLEMS 

In carrying on the noon lunch many problems present 
themselves for solution that do not find a place under any 
of the headings included in this little treatise. 



TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 23 

The question has been asked, "What will you do with 
the incorrigible child, force him to eat with the other 
children?" 

In answering, it will be necessary to turn to our best 
authorities on phj^siology. We are told that for perfect 
digestion we need to be in a pleasant frame of mind; so, in- 
stead of taking a few pepsin tablets to enable one to enj 05^ a 
good dinner, it would be better to bring to the table a cheer- 
ful, happy heart, serve a clever anecdote or two for an entree 
and garnish every dish with a hearty laugh. This is no 
product of New Thought, for in the Proverbs we read, "A 
meny heart doeth good like a medicine." The latest dis- 
coveries of science have shown that when one indulges in a 
fit of anger a poison is emitted in the blood. Worry and sor- 
row depress the whole system and cause the nerves to re- 
spond very slowly to the demands made upon them. 

It would, therefore, be better to use tact in handling 
James when he refuses to eat with the other children. A wise 
teacher will say, "We are so sorry you don't wish to eat with 
us to-day, James; for we have something you like and we will 
miss you at table." Then a special effort should be made to 
have attractive dishes that will tempt him until he will want 
to join the rest. 

Several methods, that are quite objectionable, have been 
suggested for taking care of the soiled dishes after the lunch : 
the first, to pile the dishes up on the work table and pay one 
of the older girls in meal tickets to wash them after school; 
the second, to have the children take their dishes home to 
be washed. 

The spirit of co-operation will be destroyed unless each 
child is given a part to perform. Again, the lessons of san- 
itation which should be taken into every home in the com- 
munity will be confined to a very few. 



24 TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

An excellent opportunity for teaching the rules of sanita- 
tion is provided through the noon lunch. The proper care 
of food in the home, the disposal of garbage, the rinsing of 
the dishes with boiling water and the washing out of the 
dish towels should be daily lessons. 

To have one girl do the menial or what some regard the 
disagreeable tasks will establish class lines, or caste, in the 
school. Children should be taught to do whatever is nec- 
essary with a cheerful spirit; to regard all work as honorable 
and dignified ; to think not so much of what must be done as 
how it should be done; to feel quite as proud of a shelf full 
of clean, shining dishes as of a well written composition. 

A young man who had the ambition for a college educa- 
tion was once visited by a former teacher. He was found 
washing dishes in an eating house. In the course of the con- 
versation he explained how he was out of money and, as no 
other employment could be found, he was obliged to take 
for the time being whatever work presented itself. His 
teacher left him feeling confident that in the course of time 
he would realize his ambition and finish college; for the fine 
spirit and earnest purpose of the young fellow were shown 
when he said, 'T always wash my dishes clean." 

Again, if the dishes were taken home to be washed, it 
is quite probable that the mother would perform the task 
instead of the child. The dishes might be forgotten the 
next morning and there might be much inconvenience at 
lunch time. 

If the tasks incident to the noon lunch be properly or- 
ganized and assigned, they may be performed in a short space 
of time without interrupting the routine of school life. 

When the proper value is placed upon the little lessons 
of life that are the outgrowth of the work of every da}^, some 
of the great labor problems may be more easily solved. 



THE RURAL SCHOOL LVNCH 25 

I>[ot every one can lead the van ; the battle cannot be won by 
the captain alone. It takes the co-operation of every man 
and the faithful performance of every duty no matter how 
small to succeed in any common endeavor. 

It has been suggested that it be made a matter of honor 
among the pupils to be chosen as housekeepers; that is, that 
only those shall serve in this capacity who have prepared their 
school work well. This idea is erroneous. The school lunch 
is not meant to be an incentive to other work except as it 
may prove to be a stimulus to mentality. It exists for its 
own sake. All should participate in the preparation of the 
lunch as well as partake of it. Some pupils might never 
become eligible on a scholarship basis. 

In a few communities the parents have failed to see the 
value of the school lunch and to give support to the efforts 
of the teacher. In such cases the lunch cannot be forced. 
The parents must be won over to the new idea by a- careful 
canvass of the various homes, finding out the objections and 
meeting them wisely, setting forth the value of the lunch 
both to the children and to the community. 

In some localities it may be that the expense of the lunch 
will prove a burden where there are three to six children 
in a family. This problem has been met by giving out 
lunch tickets to all children each morning. To those who 
cannot bring the money tickets should be given without the 
knowledge of the other children and the expense met either 
by the school board or by entertainments. It would per- 
haps be possible for these children to be independent and pay 
for the lunches themselves by having, a garden in which 
they could raise potatoes enough to supply the winter's de- 
mand and sell them to the school. 

It has been claimed that too much emphasis has been 
placed upon the hot lunch instead of one that will give the 



26 THE RIRAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

proper nutritive value. It is highly important that some- 
thing warm should form a part of the lunch, especially during 
the winter. A cup of hot cocoa or a bowl of hot soup warms 
the digestive tract exciting the flow of the juices which act 
upon the food. Digestion is a series of changes brought 
about by both mechanical and chemical action, either of 
which takes place more rapidly in the presence of heat. 
The temperature of the body is 98.6°, and all food taken 
into the stomach, if not so warm, must be heated by the 
body to this temperature. It can readily be seen that a 
diet of cold potatoes or ice cream will occasion a great loss 
of heat to the body in the process of digestion. 

Emphasis has been placed upon the nutritive value of the 
lunch in an earlier paragraph, but a brief treatise on the 
balanced ration, the classification and function of foods to- 
gether with their caloric value may prove helpful. 

FOOD STUDY 

A food is a substance taken into the body which builds 
and repairs tissue, creates heat and energy without doing any 
harm to the body. While coffee and alcohol may create 
heat and energy, they are both harmful ; so they cannot be 
properly classed as foods. 

All the foods that we eat may be divided into five classes, 
'Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates, Minerals and Water. While 
some foods, such as sugar or olive oil, may belong to but one 
class, most foods are a combination of two or more classes. 

Proteins are foods which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxy- 
gen, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. The proteins are 
our only source of nitrogen and sulphur. As nitrogen is es- 
sential in the building of muscular tissue, this class of foods 
has been termed tissue builders. While proteins may also 
give heat and energy, they ai'e obtained in a too expensive 



THE I?IRAL SCHOOL LI XCil 27 

form. Meat, fish, eggs, milk and nuts are the most im- 
portant sources of this class of foods. 

Fats are foods which contain only carbon, hydrogen and 
oxygen. They are found in a pure form in olive oil and lard 
and in different amounts in milk, nuts, eggs and certain 
vegetables, as beans and corn. Their function in the body 
is to produce heat and energy. While carbohydrates have 
this same use, pound for pound fat yields two and a fourth 
times as much energy as sugar. Carbohydrates are the 
most economical source of energy, while fats give energy in 
the most concentrated form. 

Carbohydrates also are composed of carbon, hydrogen and 
oxygen, the last two in the proportion to form water. They 
consist of sugars, starches, gums and cellulose, and their 
main function is to produce heat and energy. Cellulose, the 
framework or pithy portion of vegetables and fruits, fur- 
nishes bulk to our food and thus aids digestion by exercising 
the digestive organs and so stimulating them to perform 
their functions. 

Minerals, found largely in vegetables, fruits and water, 
aid in building bony tissue and in keeping the blood in 
proper condition. 

Water, which constitutes about 60% of our bodies, aids in 
circulation, regulates the temperature and purifies the blood. 

As the body is made up of protein, fat, carbohydrates, 
minerals and water, we need these foods to supply building 
material and repair waste. The proper proportion of each is 
called the balanced ration. We do not relish a meal of pure 
protein, fat or carbohydrate and it would be less easily 
digested than a mixed diet. For these reasons it is best to 
have each of the food classes represented in each meal, the 
greater proportion being of carbohydrate, while the amount 
of protein and fat should be about the same. 



28 



THE RVFAL SCHOOL LINCH 



APPROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF THE HUMAN BODY 



Water 


Protein 


Carbohy- 
drate 


Fat 


Mineral 


60% 


18% 


1% 


1 rp/ 
4-J /o 


6% 



It does not follow from the above table that we need to 
eat food elements in the above proportions. Some of the 
food we eat is used for repair, or for maintaining the above 
composition of the body, while other portions are consumed, 
as coal is consumed in a furnace, for supplying heat and 
energy. 

The energy requirement of people differs according to 
age, weight and occupation. Children must use part of 
their food for building up the body and their external activ- 
ities are much greater than those of the adult. Naturally, 
heat producing foods are required to a greater extent in win- 
ter than in summer. 

If one knows the composition of the various food ma- 
terials, it is possible to calculate their fuel value to the body. 
A calorie is the measure of energy or fuel value just as the 
pound is the measure of weight. Experiments have shown 
that, approximately, protein jdelds 4 calories of heat per 
gram, fat 9 and carbohydrate 4. 28.35 grams =1 oz. These 
data are obtained by means of a calorimeter, a calorie being 
the amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of water 1 C. 
or 1 pound of water about 4 F. 

It has been determined that energy or heat must be 
produced by a proper proportion of the various food classes; 
for an excess of either protein or fat will bring about digestive 
disturbances. vSome of our best authorities state that the 
proportion should be about 16 oz. of carbohydrates to 4 oz. 
of fat and 4 oz. of protein. 



THE RJ'RAL SCHOOL LUNCH 29 

DAILY FOOD REQUIREMENTS 

A man doing light work, 2,400 calories and .21 lb. protein. 

A man doing average work, 2,900 calories and .26 lb. protein. 

A man doing heavy work, 3,500-5,000 calories and .41-. 44 lb. protein. 

A woman doing average work, 2,500 calories and .12 lb. protein. 

A child 6-9 years old, 1,300-1,600 calories. 

A child 10-13 years old, 1,800-2,200 calories. 

A child 14-17 years old, 2,500-2,800 calories. 

To keep the body iii_ repair the protein is required in 
addition to the carbohydrates and fats which furnish heat 
or energy only. Of the calories needed 17% should be pro- 
tein, 18% of fat and 65% of carbohydrates. 

One pound of protein yields 1,820 calories. 

One pound of carbohydrates yields 1,820 calories. 

One pound of fat yields 4,084 calories. 

"It is best to apportion the diet properly between the 
proteins, fats and carboh3^drates. One could take an excess 
of protein and in that way increase the calories so that less 
fat would be required, but this would put unnecessary work 
upon the kidneys through which the unnecessary proteins 
or end-products of such are eliminated. Likewise an excess 
of fat is not so easily digested and it is more expensive 
than carbohydrates, the latter of which are abundant in 
nature, and are cheap and more easily digested and oxidized. 
A small proportion of fats, however, is well taken with other 
foods and is stored up in the tissues for time of need."* 

From the 100-calorie table it can be seen how much of 
the common foods must be taken for the special require- 
ments of different persons. It is generally estimated that 
100 calories can be furnished for one cent. 

Tables necessarily vary, as the analysis of various sam- 
ples vary. The figure, however, furnish sufficiently accu- 
rate approximations for all practical purposes. 

* S. D. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bulletin 168, 



TEE NURAL i^CHOOL LUNCH 



The government bulletin No. 28 on the Chemical Com- 
position of American Food Materials by Atwater and Bryant 
will prove helpful in giving the needed information concern- 
ing the composition of our common foods. 

AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF FOODSTUFFS 

(Tables compiled from various bulletins) 

FRUITS 



Apples 

Bananas 

Dates 

Figs, uncooked . . 

Grapes 

Oranges 

Peaches 

Pineapples 

Plums 

Prunes, uncooked 

Raisins 

Strawberries .... 



Water 



84.6 
75.3 
20.8 
18.8 
77.4 
86.9 
89.4 
89.3 
78.4 
22.3 
14.6 
90.4 



Protein 



.4 

1.3 

4.4 

4.3 

1.3 

.8 

.7 

.4 

1.0 

2.1 

2.6 

1.0 



Fat 



.3 
1.6 
2 
.1 
.3 



3.3 



Carbo- 
hj'drate 



14.2 

22. 

65.7 

74.2 

19.2 

11.6 

9.4 

9.7 

20.1 

73.3 

76.1 

7.4 



Ash 



.8 

1.5 

2.4 

.4 

.5 

.4 

.3 

.5 

2.3 

3.4 

.6 



Calories 
per lb. 



290 

460 

1350 

1475 

432 

240 

190 

196 

383 

1400 

1605 

180 



VEGETABLES 



Asparagus 

Beans, string. . . 
Beans, dried . . . . 

Beets 

Cabbages 

Celery 

Corn 

Cucumbers 

Lettuce 

Peas, green .... 
Potatoes, white 
Potatoes, sweet 

Tomatoes 

Turnij^s 



Water 



94.0 
89.2 
13.6 

87.5 
91.5 
94.5 
75.4 
95.4 
94.7 
74.6 
78.3 
69.0 
94.3 
89.6 



Protein 



1.8 
2.3 
22.5 
1.6 
1.6 
1.1 
3.1 

.8 
1.2 
7.0 
2.2 
1.8 

.9 
1.3 



Fat 



Carbo- 
liydrate 



.2 

1.3 

1.8 

.1 

.3 

.1 

1.1 

.2 

.3 

.5 

.1 

.7 

.4 



3.3 

7.4 

59.6 

9.7 

5.6 

3.3 

19.7 

3.1 

2.9 

16.9 

18.4 

27.4 

3.9 

8.1 



Ash 



.7 

3.5 

1.1 

1.0 

.1 

.7 

.5 

.9 

1.0 

1.0 

1.1 

.5 



Calories 
per lb. 



100 

195 

1565 

215 

145 

85 

440 

80 

90 

440 

385 

570 

105 

178 



TEE RURAL SCEOOL LUNCH 



31 



CEREALS 



Water 



Protein 



Fat 



Carbo- 
hydrate 



Ash 



Calories 
per lb. 



Barley 

Bread, white 

Cornmeal 

Macaroni 

Oats, rolled 

Rice 

Starch 

Tapioca 

Wheat, cracked. . 
Wheat, shredded 



10.9 
35.3 
12.0 
10.3 

7.7 
12.3 



7.5 
9.2 
8.9 
13.4 
16.7 
8.0 



.9 
1.3 

4.9 
.9 

7.3 
.3 



11.4 

10.1 

8.1 



4.0 
11.1 

10.5 



1.0 
1.7 
1.4 



79.8 
53.1 
72.0 
74.1 
66.2 
79.0 
90.0 
88.0 
75.5 
77.9 



.9 
1.1 
1.0 
1.3 
2.1 

.4 

i.o' 

1.6 
2.1 



1660 
1200 
1850 
1645 
1850 
1620 
1675 
1650 
1635 
1623 



NUTS 





Water 


Protein 


Fat 


Carbo- 
hydrate 


Ash 


Calories 
per lb. 


Almonds 

Cocoanut 

Chestnuts 

Peanuts 

Pecans 

.Walnuts 


4.9 
13.0 
43.4 

7.4 
3.4 

2.5 


21.4 
6.6 
6.4 
29.8 
12.1 
16.6 


54.4 
56.2 
6.0 
43.5 
70.7 
63.4 


16.8 
22.6 
42.8 
17.1 
12.2 
16.1 


2.5 
1.6 
1.4 
2.2 
1.6 
1.4 


2895 
2805 
1140 
2610 
3300 
3285 







MEATS 





Water 


Protein 


Fat 


Carbo- 
hydrate 


Ash 


Calories 
per lb. 


Beef, porterhouse 


60.0 


21.9 


20.4 




1.0 


1275 


Beef, round 


67.8 


20.9 


10.2 




1.1 


830 


Beef, chuck ribs 


52.7 


18.5 


18.0 




.8 


1910 


Veal, loin 


69.0 


19.9 


10.0 




1.1 


790 


Mutton, leg 


62.8 


18.5 


17.7 




.1 


1105 


Pork, loin chop 


60.0 


20.0 


19.0 




1.0 


1245 


Ham, smoked 


46.2 


16.2 


38.8 




4.8 


1940 


Bacon 


20.2 


10.5 


64.8 




5.1 


2930 


Fowl 


47.1 


13.7 


12.3 




.7 


765 


Broilers 


43.7 


12.8 


1.4 




.7 


305 


Bass, black 


76.5 


20.6 


1.7 




1.2 


455 


Cod, salt 


53.5 


25.4 


.3 




24.7 


473 


Mackerel 


73.3 


18.7 


7.1 




1.2 


629 


Oysters 


88.3 


6.0 


1.3 


3.0 


1.1 


225 



32 



TEE RURAL fiCHOOL LUNCH 



MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS 





Water 


Protein 


Fat 


Carbo- 
hydrate 


Ash 


Calories 
per lb. 


Butter 

Buttermilk 

Cheese, cottage 

Cheese, cream 

Cream 

Milk, condensed 

Milk, skimmed 

Milk, whole. 


11.0 
91.0 
72.0 
34.2 
74.0 
68,2 
90.5 
87.0 


1.0 

.3 

20.9 

25.9 

2.5 

9.6 

3.4 

3.3 


85.0 

.5 

1.0 

33.7 

18.5 

9.3 

.3 

4.0 


' ' ' 4.8' ' 
4.3 
2.4 
4.5 
11.2 
5.1 
5.0 


.3 

.7 
1.8 
3.8 

.5 
1.7 

.7 

.7 


3410 
165 
510 

1950 
865' 
780 
170 
310 



TABLE SHOWING 100-CALORIE PORTIONS* 



Kind of Food 


Measure 


Weight 
in oz. 


Apples, dried 


3'3 cupful 
1 1-in slice 
1 tbsp. 


1.20 


Bread 


1.36 


Butter 


.46 


Beef, flank 


1.90 


Beef, round 




3.05 


Banana 


1 medium 


5.50 


Bacon 


.62 


Beans, kidney 


2 tbsp. 
2 tbsp. 


1.02 


Beans, Lima 

Carrots 


1.00 
10.00 


Cabbage 


3 cupfuls 
3 tbsp. 
}/2 square 
1 1-in cube 
2% tbsp. 
1 large 
4. tbsp. 
214 tbsp. 
^/i cupful 
I4 cupful 
3 or 4 

1 medium 
10 or 11 

2 tbsp. 
2 tbsp. 

1^- cupfuls 


9.00 


Cornmeal 


.99 


Chocolate 


.57 


Cheese, American 


.80 


Cream of Wheat 


.97 


Eaiffs 


2.68 


Flour 


1.00 


Hominy 


1.00 


Milk 


5.00 


Oatmeal, uncooked 

Prunes ... 


.90 
1.20 


Potato 


5.30 


Peanuts 


.85 


Rice 


1.00 


Sugar 


.88 


Tomatoes 


15.60 







*From Bulletin 333, University of Texas. 



THE RCRAL SCHOOL LVNCH 33 

GOVERNMENT BULLETINS 

The following Farmers' Bulletins may be obtained free 

of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C. 

F. B. 34 — Meats. Composition and Cooking. 

F. B. 85— Fish as Food. 

F. B. 121 — Beans, Peas and Other Legumes as Food. 

F. B. 128 — Eggs and Their Uses as Food. 

F. B. 142 — Principles of Nutrition and Nutritive Value of Food. 

F. B. 249— Cereal Breakfast Foods. 

F. B. 256 — Preparation of Vegetables for the Table. 

F. B. 293— Use of Fruit as Food. 

F. B. 295 — Potatoes and Other Root Crops as Food. 

F. B. 332— Nuts and Their Uses as Food. 

F. B. 363— The Use of Milk as Food. 

F. B. 375— Care of Food in the Home. 

F. B. 389— Bread and Bread Making. 

F. B. 391 — Economical Use of Meat in the Home. 

F. B. 413— Care of Milk and Its Use in the Home. 

F. B. 487 — Cheese and Its Economical Use in Diet. 

F. B. 53.5 — Sugar and Its Value as Food. 

F. B. 607— The Farm Kitchen as a Workshop. 

Bulletins on similar subjects may often be obtained of 

one's local state experiment station. 

BOOKS ON FOOD STUDY 

Food Products Sherman 

Source, Chemistry and Use of Food Products E. H. S. Bailey 

Human Foods Snyder 

Food Products of the World Mary E. Green 

Food and Its Functions Knight 

How the World is Fed Frank George Carpenter 

Foods and Their Uses Frank O. Carpenter 



RECIPES 

The recipes here presented will prove practical and pos- 
sible in every locality. Many other recipes which have been 
suggested for the noon lunch are too expensive and wholly 
impossible. While greens are healthful they require too 
much effort and time in preparation. Salads and mayon- 
naise dressing are in most cases too expensive and elaborate, 



34 THE h'URAL HCHOOL LUNCH 

Growing children thrive better on simple foods and a lasting 
benefit will be derived if they acquire simple tastes. 

In working out the following recipes the abbreviations 
must be understood. All measurements are level and the 
cup used holds one half pint. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

c . = cupful (s) tbsp . = tablespoonf ul (s) 

tsp. =teaspoonful(s) qt. =quart 

COCOA 

6 tsp. cocoa 4 tsp. sugar 

2 c. boiling water 2 c. scalded milk 

A few grains of salt. 

Make a paste of the cocoa, sugar, salt and a little water. 
Add the rest of the water and boil one minute. Add scalded 
milk and beat one minute with Dover egg beater to prevent 
scum. 

This recipe may be prepared in ten minutes and will make 
six cupfuls. Cocoa may be purchased in bulk at a very 
low price. 

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP 
2 c. tomato 2 c. milk 

4 slices of onion 2 tbsp. flour 

Pinch of soda 2 tbsp. butter 

1 tsp. salt 
A few grains of pepper 

If fresh tomatoes are used, wash and cut into small 
pieces, add slices of onion and cook till thoroughly softened. 
Canned tomatoes should be cooked with the onion ten to 
fifteen minutes, adding a little more water, if necessary. 
Put tomatoes through a sieve, reheat and add soda while 
hot to neutrahze the acid. Rub together flour, butter and 
salt, add milk slowly and cook till shghtly thick, stirring con- 
stantly. Add strained tomato slowly, stirring rapidly. 
When combined, add pepper and serve at once. This 
amount will serve four to six persons. 



THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 35 

POTATO SOUP 

4 large potatoes 4 c. milk 

4 slices of onion 3 tbsp. butter 

2 tbsp. flour 13^ tsp. salt 

A few grains of pepper and celery salt 

Cut potatoes in small pieces and boil with onion in salted 

water till very soft, mash through a sieve and save the water 

in which they were cooked. Rub together butter, flour, 

salt and pepper, add milk and cook until slightly thick. 

Add strained potatoes and potato water, cook a few minutes 

and serve. This amount will serve six persons. 

CORN SOUP 

1 can corn or 2 c. milk 

2 c. corn cut from cob 2 c. boiling water 
4 slices of onion 3 tbsp. butter 
13^ tsp. salt 2 tbsp. flour 

A few grains of pepper 

Cook fresh corn till tender in the 2 c. of boiling water. 
Canned corn should be cooked in the boiling water fifteen 
to twenty minutes. Mash through sieve, having cooked 
onion with corn. Proceed as for potato soup. This amount 
will serve six persons. 

BOILED RICE 

Wash rice and boil in salted water twenty to thirty 

minutes or until the grains are tender. Use 3^ c. rice to 2 

qts. of water and 2 tsp. salt. Drop rice slowly into the 

water so as not to stop the boiling, stir frequently with a 

fork, add more water if necessary, and, when tender, drain 

and wash with hot water to remove extra starch. Dry a 

few moments and serve with caramel sauce. Enough for 

four persons. 

CARAMEL SAUCE 

3^ c. sugar 1 tbsp. butter 

4 tsp. flour 3-2 tsp. vanilla 

1 c. hot water 



36 THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

}/2 c. sugar caramelized, that is, heated over the fire in a 
frying pan without water till it becomes a brown liquid. 
To keep sugar from burning requires constant stirring. 

Mix sugar and flour; add hot water slowly to the caramel; 
then add mixed sugar and flour and cook till thickened, stir- 
ring constantly. Remove from the fire and add butter and 
vanilla. Serve hot or cold. Enough for ten to twelve per- 
sons. 

SOFT-COOKED EGGS 

Cover eggs with boiling water, place tightly covered on 
an asbestos mat over the fire, leaving them six to eight 
minutes. Water should not boil over eggs but just keep 
hot. In this manner the eggs will be cooked more evenly. 
Allow one or two eggs to a person. 

SCRAMBLED EGGS 

Allow one egg to a person. Break in a basin and beat 
slightly with an egg beater or fork. Add Yi c. milk or water 
for six eggs, beat well together, season with salt and pepper 
and cook in a buttered pan on top of the stove. Stir con- 
stantly to prevent burning. Do not cook till hard but just 
until well set. 

EGGS AU GRATIN 

Use one egg per person, poach or cook in boiling salted 
water till firm enough to remove from the pan. Place in a 
greased shallow dish, cover with grated cheese and then 
with white sauce. Spread over white sauce a layer of but- 
tered crumbs and bake ten or fifteen minutes or until crumbs 
are brown. 

CREAMED EGGS 

Use hard-cooked eggs that have been in boiling water 
thiity minutes, Remove shell, cut through the center and 



TEE JM'RAL .SCHOOL LUNCH 37 

remove the yolks. Put yolks through a sieve, mashing them 

to a fine powder. Cut the whites into small pieces. Add 

whites to white sauce and heat through, serve on crackers 

or toast and cover lightly with the powdered yolk. Allow 

one egg to a person. 

WHITE SAUCE 

IJ^ tbsp. butter 3^ tsp. salt 

13^ tbsp. flour 1 c. milk 

A few grains of white or red pepper 

Rub together butter, flour, salt and pepper. Add milk 

slowly and cook till thick, stirring constantly. Enough for 

six eggs. 

MACARONI AND CHEESE 

Boil macaroni in salted water twenty to thirty minutes. 
Then rinse in cold water to wash off the starch. In a greased 
baking dish put a layer of macaroni, a layer of cheese and a 
layer of white sauce. Repeat in same order till dish is nearly 
full. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake in a quick oven 
fifteen minutes. One cupful of uncooked macaroni will 
serve six persons. 

TO BUTTER CRUMBS 

Into melted butter pour bread or cracker crumbs and 
stir until crumbs are well coated with butter. Better results 
are obtained by using buttered crumbs than adding dry 
crumbs moistened with milk and seasoned with lumps of 
butter. 

MACARONI WITH TOMATO SAUCE 

Cook macaroni as previously suggested. After rinsing, 
dry thoroughly and cover with tomato sauce. 

TOMATO SAUCE 

Cook fresh or canned tomatoes till very soft. A few 
slices of onion cooked with the tomatoes gives a delicious 



38 TEE FURAL SCEOOL LUNCE 

flavor. Put tomatoes through a sieve. Use strained to- 
mato in place of milk in the recipe for white sauce and a 
good sauce for meat or vegetables is obtained. 

BAKED POTATOES 

Select medium potatoes of uniform size and wash clean, 
using a little vegetable brush. Bake in a pan in the oven 
for fifty to sixty minutes. When soft enough to be easily 
pierced with a fork, rub quickly to break the skin and allow 
the steam to escape. Serve with milk grav3^ 

MILK GRAVY 

Melt bacon drippings or butter in a hot frying pan, using 
3 tbsp. for 2 c. of milk. Into the melted fat dredge flour, as 
much as the fat will take; stir rapidly and when very thick 
add milk and cook till of the right consistency. Season 
with salt and pepper to taste. If bacon drippings are used, 
no seasoning is required. 

CREAMED POTATOES 

Use cold boiled potatoes, cut in small half-inch cubes. For 
four medium sized potatoes make 1 c. of white sauce. When 
thick, add cubes of potato and stir carefully so as not to 
break up the potato. Cook slowly till thoroughly heated. 

SCALLOPED POTATOES 

Into a greased baking dish put a layer of raw potatoes 
sliced very thin, season with salt, pepper and butter and 
dredge with a little flour; add layers of potatoes seasoned in 
this way till the dish is nearly full; add milk until potatoes 
are almost covered, and bake in the oven an hour, placing 
a cover over the dish until the last few minutes when it 
should be removed so that the potatoes will brown. Allow 
one potato for each person. 



TEE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 39 

SQUAW DISH 

1 can of corn 6 slices of bacon 

3 eggs 

Cut bacon into small pieces and cook in the frying pan 
till brown; add contents of can of corn, mix well with bacon 
and cook till boiling hot all through. Add the eggs well 
beaten, stir and mix throughout. Cook till quite thick and 
serve at once. This amount will be enough for 8 persons. 
This dish is very wholesome, furnishing all the food constit- 
uents and is universally liked. . 

IRISH STEW 

Select the cheaper cuts of beef, such as the shoulder, 
neck piece or flank. Wipe meat with a wet cloth, cut into 
small pieces and plunge into boiling water. Cook rapidly 
for fifteen minutes, then season and simmer slowly till tender. 
Thicken the broth with flour and cold water mixed to a 
paste. Add thickening while broth is boihng until of the 
desired consistency. If vegetables are desired, use onions, 
carrots and turnips cut in small cubes. These should be 
added to the stew half an hour before it is served. Potatoes 
may also be added; but, when cut in half-inch cubes, will 
cook in fifteen minutes. More salt should be added when 
vegetables are used. Three pounds of beef should serve 
twelve persons. 

VEGETABLE SOUP 

Use shank of beef. Cut meat into small pieces after 
wiping it with a damp cloth; place both bone and meat in 
cold water, add salt and bring slowly to a boil. Simmer 
till meat is tender and add vegetables cut in half-inch cubes. 
For one quart of soup add }4 c each of chopped onion, car- 
rot, turnip and celery. When these vegetables are nearly 
tender, add 3^ c. potatoes cut in half-inch cubes. Cook 



40 TEE RURAL 8CE00L LUNCE 

fifteen minutes and serve. Two pounds will make enough 
soup for twelve persons. 

Other vegetables or cereals may be added, such as cab- 
bage chopped, strained tomato, rice or sago. 

CREAM OF WHEAT WITH DATES 

1 qt. boiling water J^ tsp. salt 

% c. cream of wheat 13^ c. chopped dates 

Put salt into boiling water, add Cream of Wheat gradually- 
stirring slowly. Cook twenty to thirty minutes in a double 
boiler. When done, add dates, stoned and cut fine. Heat 
through and serve with milk or cream. Enough for ten or 
twelve persons. 

FRIED MUSH 

Cook Cream of Wheat at night, omitting dates. Pour 
into a bowl and let stand till morning. Turn mush out on a 
plate — it will be firm — cut in half-inch slices and fry in 
butter or drippings. Serve with caramel sauce or cream and 
sugar. 

CREAMED SALMON 

Remove salmon from can as soon as opened and look 
over carefully, removing bones and skin. Make 2 c. white 
sauce, according to recipe previously given. When thick, 
add salmon. Cook five to ten minutes and pour over toast 
or crackers. This amount will serve twelve persons 

CREAMED CODFISH 

Pick codfish into small pieces, removing bones, if there 
are any. Cook ten minutes in boiling water and drain. 
Cover again with boiling water and cook till tender. Drain 
again and for 1 c. of codfish add J4 c. white sauce. Heat 
through and add one well beaten egg. Cook two minutes 
and serve at once. Enough for four persons. 



TEE RURAL SCEOOL LVNCE 41 

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS 

1 qt. sifted flour 6-8 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. lard 

Ice cold water 

Add salt and baking powder to the flour, mix in lard with 
finger tips. When thoroughly mixed, add water, a little at 
a time, stirring hghtly with a knife. When a soft dough is 
formed, take out on a floured board and pat lightly till 
smooth and a half inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or 
a baking powder can cover, bake in a hot oven ten to twelve 
minutes, serve hot with syrup or caramel sauce. Corn 
syrup or that made from brown sugar and water is very 
good. Enough for three dozen biscuits. 

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING 

2 c. stale bread crumbs 2 eggs 

4 c. milk 2 sq. chocolate 

K c. sugar 3^ tsp. salt 

2 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. vanilla 

Scald milk and pour over bread crumbs. Cool and add 

sugar, salt, butter, well beaten eggs, melted chocolate and 

vanilla. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake slowly 

till well set, usually about thirty minutes. Serve with milk 

or cream. This amount will serve ten or twelve persons, 

CHEESE FONDUE 

1 c. soft stale brd. crumbs J^ lb. cheese 

2 c. milk 3 eggs 

3^ tsp. salt 

Scald milk and pour over bread crumbs, add salt and 
cheese cut in small pieces; beat yolks of eggs and mix with 
other ingredients; fold in whites of eggs beaten stiff and pour 
into greased baking dish. Set dish in another dish of hot 
water and bake in the oven twenty minutes or till set like 
custard. The heat should be moderate. Enough for six 
persons. 



42 THE RURAL SCHOOL LUNCH 

SCALLOPED CORN OR TOMATOES 

Into a buttered baking dish put a layer of bread or 
cracker crumbs and add corn or tomatoes, drained of some 
of their liquor, and well seasoned. Cover with buttered 
crumbs and bake fifteen minutes or until crumbs are brown. 
One quart will be sufficient for six persons. 

BAKED CUSTARD 

4 c. milk 3^ c. sugar 

4 eggs M tsp. salt 

1-2 tsp. lemon extract A little nutmeg. 

Beat eggs together, add other ingredients and mix tho- 
roughly. Pour into buttered cups and add a little nutmeg 
to the top of each. Place cups in a pan of hot water and 
bake in a moderate oven until firm. Test with a knife and 
when cut, if firm, custards are done. If baked in one dish, 
add two more eggs. Enough for eight persons. 

MILK TOAST 

Place bread on asbestos mat over flame. Brown well on 
each side. Make white sauce according to recipe and pour 
over toast. 1 c. white sauce will be enough for four slices of 
toast. 

FRENCH TOAST 

Beat two eggs well together and add a pinch of salt and 
^2 c. of milk. Dip slices of bread in mixture and fry in fry- 
ing pan in butter. Brown well on each side and serve with 
syrup. 



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